These days, recalls have been featured in the news frequently – particularly, recalls of peanut and pistachio products. These products were recalled to remove them from the market so that they couldn’t harm consumers after they were determined to contain dangerous bacteria and other toxins.
Auto recalls work in pretty much the same fashion. When an automobile is determined to have a problem that could cause harm to either consumers or the car, the manufacturer issues a recall. Recalls can be issued for flaws that are primarily cosmetic, or for those that could have serious consequences for the affected drivers.
When the manufacturer issues a recall, a letter is sent to all registered owners of the car in question. Information is also provided to the media and to all authorized dealerships and certified mechanics. Owners of the car in question are instructed to take the car to their local authorized dealership or certified mechanic, where the flaw can be corrected. Most often, this involves replacing the part in question. Depending on the potential seriousness of the recalled part in question, there may or may not be a charge to the owner for this. Usually, the more potential danger is involved, the less likely it is that the owner will shoulder some or all of the cost of the repair.
This is a time when having a certified mechanic you use regularly can come in quite handy. A customer service oriented mechanic who receives a recall notice involving your car may call you with information, even before you receive it from the manufacturer. Not only do certified mechanics receive recall notices quickly, they’re given the information they need to make the repair in question, as well as how to obtain any needed parts and tools. They’ll also be able to get any needed parts and tools much more quickly than non-certified mechanics and general retail parts houses.
A qualified mechanic can also be your ally in determining how quickly the recall should be addressed. For example, they can help you determine the seriousness of the repair and how quickly you should bring your car in. They may recommend that the car be brought in immediately versus after you get back from your vacation in two weeks.
In addition, it’s important to note that a recall only affects a specific year, make and model of a car as described in the recall. For example, if you have a 2005 Ford Focus and only 2006 Ford Focus automobiles are subject to a recall, you have no reason to be concerned.
If you’re buying a car, you need to know whether the car in question has ever been the subject of a recall, and if so, if the necessary repairs were made. You can determine whether a car has been the subject of a recall through internet searches for recall notices, by talking to a mechanic certified to repair the car in question, or by obtaining a commercial car report from a service such as CarFax.
Any repairs and recalls should also be noted in the car’s maintenance and repair records. If you only find a notice of a recall, but no record that the repair was made, a pre-sale inspection by a mechanic can tell you whether or not the repair was made, but not when. Whenever car maintenance and repair records aren’t available, a pre-sale inspection becomes a crucial part of your car buying process.
